(All Special Sections)

These people are very,very nasty.
They have foul mouth.
This morning they were at the High School.
Young children should not hear the nasty remark coming out of their mouth.They are very vulgar.
These are the Baptist from Kansas.




January 04, 2010 - 12:28 pm



Alexander Cohn/Monitor staff
Three members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas protested gay rights in front of City Hall this morning. They were joined by locals who came to support or decry their message.
Zoom



Three members of the Westboro Baptist Church flew in from Topeka, Kan., and spread their anti-gay message today at three Concord locations.

The church members stopped in New Hampshire to voice their concern over gay marriage, which was legalized here on New Year's Day. Members, who subscribe to a strict interpretation of the Bible, routinely protest against gay people, and also appear at soldiers' funerals, stating that God's disapproval of homosexuality led to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Fags can't marry,” read one sign,” held by church member Charles Hockenbarger, a 36-year-old information technology worker from Topeka.
“Our message in a nutshell?” Hockenbarger asked rhetorically. “Repent or perish.”

Also part of the protest were Marji Phelps, daughter of Fred Phelps, the church's pastor, and Ben Phelps, the pastor's grandson. Both also held signs warning that gays and those who condone their behavior will be sent to hell.

The trio began its protest down the block from Concord High School, near Fruit Street, where about 100 counter-protesters of all ages flashed their own signs.
“We are singing songs that deal with peace and love because that's all that really matters,” said 17-year-old Cameron Ouellette of Belmont. “It's more important that people around us support love over hate.”

The Westboro church members then drove to Green Street to continue their rally in front of City Hall and the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire. They had protested Sunday in Manchester and Goffstown before arriving in Concord today.
“Gay marriage is the issue,” Hockenbarger said. “And city hall is where they have to go to get a marriage license.”